Clifton College Website

James Hills BA FRCO DipTCL

James has been Director of Music at Clifton College since September 2002. Previously he was Assistant Director of Music and it was during this time that he helped organise the first ever Prom on the Close. He started his teaching career as the Organist at Uppingham School in Rutland where he spent two and a half years teaching organ and also academic music.During his time there he coached four organists to top Oxbridge Organ Scholarships, one of whom was also a finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition.

As an undergraduate he studied music at Cambridge University and was member of Selwyn College, where he studied organ with David Sanger and also co-conducted one of the Cambridge University Symphony Orchestras (CUMS II). Whilst at Cambridge James was a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Conductor of the Year Competition, working with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in a master class with Yan Pascal Tortellier and Martyn Brabbins.

After graduating James moved to London and was appointed to the Thalben-Ball Memorial Organ Scholarship at St Michael’s, Cornhill. In London he studied organ with Nicholas Kynaston and Peter Wright at Trinity College of Music.

James holds an FRCO on the organ and also an LTCL on the violin.

© 2006-12 Clifton College